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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · snap · net · rash · cold · staff · stand · trunk

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stand — to bear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — a series
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. staff — employees
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. net — in sport
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. cold — an illness

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com